Wednesday, May 27, 2009

GPBL ANNOUNCES FOURTH TEAM

CANTON OH - The Global Professional Basketball League has added a fourth team to the league for the upcoming inaugural season. Lynn Mickles, Executive Director of the GPBL announced that Barberton Ohio will be home to the GPBL's newest team and will be owned by a group of local businessmen led by Bryan Smith and Scott Gresser.

"We are extremely happy to welcome Brian and Scott to the GPBL" said Mickles. "This group is deeply embedded in the Barberton area and will bring a stable ownership group along with a competitive and entertaining basketball team to the community."

Bryan Smith is a graduate of Barberton High School and a veteran of the U.S. Army. Following his tour of duty Bryan began pursuing a career in Medicine at Akron University. "I still have many roots in Barberton and I hope that I will be able to do as much for the community as it has done for me" said Smith.

Scott Gresser is a graduate of Northwest High School and a lifelong sports fanatic. Scott began his career in minor league sports in 2005 with the Canton Legends Indoor Football team. In 2006 he was promoted to GM of the Legends and was instrumental in putting together the team that won the AIFL Championship that year. Scott was also on the staff of the Wooster Warriors professional hockey team and has now turned his focus to basketball.

Presently Smith and Gresser are focused on building a staff as well as choosing a name for the Barberton team. "We are taking a hard look at what we name this team" said Gresser. "After all, it's going to be our Identity and the identity of our fans for hopefully a long time."

The Barberton team joins the Lancaster Liberty, North Jersey Runnin' Regulators and the Canton Conquest in preparing for the 2010 season which will tip off in early January.

For more information on the Global Professional Basketball League visit our web site at www.thegpbl.com.

Don SerokaDirector of Media and Public RelationsGlobal Professional Basketball Leaguedon@thegpbl.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it orAndrew HainesCEOHaines Consulting GroupAndrew@hainesconsulting.com